[Wolf]

Hey again all! Stupid question time!

My shotgun got beyond drenched today. I got caught in the woods when a rain storm like I haven't seen in a while passed over us and it couldn't have gotten any wetter had I tossed it in a lake. Kept the barrel down for the most part so it wouldn't get too wet, but I am certain it did anyway when it first started.

I also kept shooting when the rain was starting and was only a light rain. But I ended up in a pretty flooded area and was wading through a small instant river with it.

So, question is: I cleaned the shotgun pretty well, I have the sling off to dry, and the barrel is off the shotgun for now, too. Do I need to do anything else? It's a Benelli Super Nova with that Advantage Timber camo finish on it. Do I need to do anything for that finish? And is cleaning enough, or should I be doing something else? I only did a basic cleaning because I didn't have much time and right now I'm so tired I'm typing like I'm drunk. Do I need to sit with it again tomorrow night?

Sorry, only gun I have that ever got caught in the rain with me was my Sig and that gets hit with Birchwood Casey's Baracade regularly and is fairly easy to deal with. And it never got caught like my shotgun did.

[robertusa123]

this is where wd-40 comes in handey the wd stands for water displacment the 40 is bacause it was the 40th fourmiler tryed when the invinter was developing the stuff

[MisterMcCool]

A gunsmith once showed me a rifle that had been covered in WD-40 and then stored. Holy crap! It looked like it had been engraved by a kindergartener.

[dragunovsks]

Id tear it completely apart, clean and dry everything, when its all dry id lube and reassemble. I got caught out in the rain once with my Mosin-nagant M44, it got pretty well soaked to the bone. As soon as i got home i took it apart, including the bolt to make sure i got it all. Im not sure how difficult a nova is to tear down but thats what id do.

[BillDeShivs]

This is exactly the case for using WD 40. Soak the gun down well with WD 40, then dry it off. It will displace moisture in places you can't normally get to.

[montveil]

WD 40 is really great for displacing water but it has been said it creates a gummy film.
After using wd40 and warming the shotgun with a hair drier to get rid of the water as WD 40 DISPLACES water, not eliminates it. If you have forced hot air heating system placing the metal parts over the hot air outlet also works
I would use brake cleaner on the metal parts to get rid of the WD 40 film, especially on the high tolerance parts such as the bolt. Use brake cleaner outside as it is not good to breathe and keep it off wood and plastic parts.
As stated before lube all parts thoroughly with your favorite lube
Just some thoughts to consider.

[JonM]

Things made of metal should never bein the same room as wd40 much less using it on a firearm.

Clp is a great tool for use after a good soaking. The spray on wd40 is really handy for getting into small spaces.

After a soaking firearms need a good detail cleaning and oiling.

The issue with wd40 is it leaves gummy junk behind that attracts dirt. Its a terrible product only useful for bicycle chains and iffy for that.

Use a good quality gun oil and a thorough cleaning and you will be fine

[lfcshooter]

You can actually get storage gun oil that you apply once you've wiped the gun down and will protect it.

You can apply it also before you go out shooting in damp or humid conditions.

I agree wd40 although a great product it's not recommended for firearms.

I use Phillips gun oil made specifically for this purpose

[303tom]

I would use WD-40, but then I have used it religiously for 40 years, with no problems what so ever, & if there is any one who tells me (it will hurt your gun) I say, I am from Missouri, and I have proof to the contrary & if you wish to see it, come see me & I will show you a test barrel that has hung in the shed for years with nothing on it but WD-40, the bluing is intact & there is not a rust spot on it...............

[Jstrong]

Originally Posted by 303tom

I would use WD-40, but then I have used it religiously for 40 years, with no problems what so ever, & if there is any one who tells me (it will hurt your gun) I say, I am from Missouri, and I have proof to the contrary & if you wish to see it, come see me & I will show you a test barrel that has hung in the shed for years with nothing on it but WD-40, the bluing is intact & there is not a rust spot on it...............

The only things one heard in the argument that you should not use WD-40 to clean your guns is that if it gets near the ammunition or if you get enough on the breach face that it can seep into the primer pocket and render your ammo useless. I've never heard that it could actually hurt your gun though.